Sofa-bedstead.



No. 636,466. Patemwuee. 5; |899.. w. .L KELLY. SOFA BEDSTEAD.

(No Mode`l.)

No. 633,466.. l Patented D6c5, |39f-1.4 Y w. .1. KELLY.

SOFA BEDSTEAD.

(Application filed Sept. 80, 1899.) 'm6 model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

I f/Qw l? dw ZM ilnrrn rrnfrns L rrrcn.

W'ILLIAM J. KELLY, OE CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. A. KELLY da BROS., INCORPORATED, OF SAME PLACE.

lSOFA'-BEIDSTEAD s'PnoIFIcA'rI'oN forming part ef Lettere Patent No. 638,466, dated December 5, 189e. Application flledeptemher 30, 1899. Serial No. 732,216. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. KELLY, a 'citizen of the United States, residing at Olinton,in the county of Olinton and State of Iowa,

whose post-office address 'is Clinton, Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sofa-Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sofa-bedsteads, and

ro has for its object to provide such an article of furniture of novel, simple, and economical construction so arranged that it may be easily converted from a sofa into a bed and from a bed into a sofa without drawing the structure away from a wall or other object against which it may be placed.

It is common in the use of sofa-bedsteads to dispose them in a room with the back of the article of furniture against a wall, and

zo in many previous constructions of sofa-bedsteads it has been necessary before the article can be converted from a sofa into a bed, or vice versa, to rem ove it from the wall, because when it is to be adjusted to serve as a bed z 5 that upholstered section which formed the back of the article when adjusted as a sofa would project out beyond the normal back of the article. In such constructions it was impossible to convert the sofa into a bedstead 5o without rst removing it a suitable distance away from the wall. By my invention I provide a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby the article may be converted from a sofa into a bedstead without such re- 3 5 moval.

The invention has for its object, also, to improve in a novel manner the general construction of sofa-bedsteads.

To the ends stated the said invention con- 4o sists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a view ofthe sofa-bedstead in Jthe position of a sofa. Eig. 2 is a view'showing the parts converted to form a bed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the operation of the parts when converting the article 5o from a bed into a sofa. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view, the outside framework being removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the end pieces. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the base-frame, and Eig. '7 is a detail of a different arrangement.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l designates the end pieces, each of which is provided on its inner surface with intersecting vertical and horizontal' grooves or race ways 2 3, and beneath the horizontal race- 6o ways each frame is channeled, as at 4, to receive the end bars 5 of the base-fran1e 6, said y end bars being rabbeted, as shown at 7, to accurately fit into the channels 4. Lag-screws 8 pass through the end pieces l into the end 65 bars of the base-frame for holding the parts together in such a way that they maybe readily separated to provide a simple knockdown structure the several elements of which may be arranged together in a very compact 7o manner for transportation. The base-frame is closed at its bottom, as shown at 9, Whereby it serves as a receptacle for the usual appurtenant coverings of a bed during the time the article is not in use as a bed.

The numerals 10 and l1 indicate two suitably-upholstered sections hinged together and which serve as the seat and back of the article when it is in use as a sofa and which together serve as a bed when adjusted to the 8o proper position therefor. The rear section ll is provided at its opposite sides and near the top with studs l2, which run in the vertical raceway 2 during the operation of converting the article of furniture, and the front section 10, which when the article is adjusted as a sofa forms a seat therefor, is provided in 4its opposite sides and near its rear end With studs 13, which run in the horizontal raceway 8 when the article is being converted, 9o as above described. The arrangement of these studs 13, as above indicated, is of importance in that when the parts of the article are in proper position to serve as a bed, as shown in Fig. 2 .of the drawings, the said studs 5 are located in rear of the front wall 14 of the base-frame 6, so that. the front section is supported without the use of legs attached there-s to. It will readily appear that when the studs j are so positioned in the horizontal raceway roo the front end of the section 10 will support considerable weight without in any manner tipping. Practical tests demonstrate that it will support a weight of several hundred pounds without in any manner tipping or being disarranged. The front section 10 is provided with a lug 15 to abut against the front Wall of the base-frame when the article is serving as a sofa to prevent any possible disarrangement of the parts.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 to serve as a sofa and it is desired to convert the article to a bed, all that it is necessary to do is to slightly raise the front end of the seat-section 11 to release the lug 15 from engagement with the front wall of the base-frame 6 and pull upon it,whereupon it will move forward, the studs 13 thereof moving easily in the horizontal raceway and the studs 12 on the rear section ruiming down the vertical raceway until the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. During this operation at no time does the edge of the rear section project beyond the normal rear line of the article of furniture, nor does it when the parts are being reconverted into a sofa. It is therefore wholly unnecessary to draw the article from its accustomed position against the wall of a room, as is necessary in many prior constructions of sofa-bedsteads, and this operation is accomplished in a very simple manner by reason of the novel arrangement of parts set forth.

In those prior sofa-bedsteads which require to be removed from the wall before being converted it is exceedingly difficult to convert them from a bed into a sofa, as itis necessary to pass behind the article of furniture and lift the rear section to its proper sofa position. By my invention I provide an arrangement by Which the article may be converted from a bed into a sofa entirely from the front and without the necessity of passing to the rear of the article for that purpose,

and this I accomplish in the manner which will now be described.

In the preferred form of myinvention (illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings) the base of the front section 10 is in a plane slightly below that of the rear section 11, and to the rear lower edge of said front section is hinged a pusher which automatically interposes itself between said sections when the article is to be converted into a sofa. In this instance the pusher comprises a spring 16. In another form of my invention-that shown in Fig. 7 of the drawingsthis pusher is yieldingly supported by a cord, wire, or similar element 17, connected to the front and rear walls of the base-frame and having interposed therein a suitable spring 18. This arrangement serves practically the same purpose as the form shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, though for all purposes not so satisfactory. I have shown two forms of the pusher element; but I wish it distinctly understood that I do not conne myself to either of such forms, as other forms of such element differing more or less in detail therefrom may be employed without de# parting from the spirit of this part of my invention. The purpose of this pusher,as shown in the drawings, is to engage or come against the front edge of the rear section of the article when it is desired to convert it from a bed into a sofa, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, being interposed between the front and rear sections, so that the two sections for the purposes in hand are practically continuous. By merely pushing upon the front section both of said sections are moved back into the proper position to form a sofa. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, it would be impossible by merely pushing upon the front section to convert the article into a sofa, as will be apparent; but by slightly lifting the front edge of the front sect-ion, with the studs serving as pivot-points, the rear edge of said section is slightly lowered and with it the front edge of the rear section, the operation resulting in the rear edge of the rear section being also lifted, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the studs 12 moving a short distance upward in the vertical raceway. The previouslymeeting surfaces of the front and rear sections will now be separated from each other, leaving a gap, and the yielding support of the pusher having been placed under tension by the lowering of the edge of the front seetion,to which itis hin ged,will at once assert its resiliency and force said pusher into the said gap and against the front edge of the rear section, forming, as it were, a bridge between said sections. The parts are now in the position to be converted into a sofa by merely pushing upon the front section and Without having to go behind the article of furniture for this purpose. The means by which this desirable result is accomplished are eXtremely simple and eminently efficient in operation.v

While it is not absolutely essential to the proper operation of my invention, I have found that the provision of a suitable coiled spring 19, connected at one end to the baseframe and at the other end to the front portion of the back section, will materially assist the operator in converting the article from a bed into a sofa. The spring being under tension at that time, the exertion of its resiliency will materially assist the operator.

In order to gain access to the base-frame for either placing the ordinary bedclothing or other appurtenances of the bed therein or removing of the same therefrom, the front section is swung upward and pivoted legs or standards 20 are provided to 'suitably engage the same and retain it in the raised position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In a sofa-bedstead, the combination with sections movably connected together, of a pusher means for interposing the same between said sections When the article is to be converted into a sofa, substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

2. In a sofa-bedstead, the combination with sections hinged together, one of said sections provided with a hinged, spring supported pusher which automatically interposes itself between the sections when the article is being converted into a sofa, substantially as der scribed.

3. In a sofa-bedstead, the combination with a back section and seat-section hinged together and having studs guided in vertical and horizontal channels in end pieces, of a pusher hinged to the rear edge of the seatsection, and means for pressing the saine upward, substantially as described.V

4f. In a sofa-bedstead, the combination with end pieces having raceways, of a back section and seat-section having studs runningin said raceways, a pusher hinged to the rear edge of the seat-section, and a spring to press the same upward between the seat-section and back section when the article is being con- VILLIAM J. KELLY.

Witnesses:

C. M. SMITH, M. F. ZUGENFUs. 

